Outline for roll-cart trash pickup system comes before Columbia City Council

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

City of Columbia staff has outlined what a move to roll carts for trash pickup might look like.

The Columbia City Council will have a first reading Monday of an ordinance that would amend the city code to require trash bins on wheels that specially outfitted trucks can pick up automatically. The change would end the current curbside collection system in which workers manually throw bags into the back of a truck.

The proposed changes were developed after two public meetings held in January.

The ordinance lays out three sizes for curbside roll carts: 35 gallons, 65 gallons and 95 gallons.

The smallest carts will cost $12.87 per month; 65-gallon carts will cost $17.37 per month; and 95-gallon carts will cost $22.50 per month.

The proposed ordinance also prohibits certain items from being put into the carts, such as ashes, coals, bulky items, rocks, dirt and construction debris.

The ordinance also specifies when carts should be placed curbside and how quickly they should be removed.

Customers can ask to swap their cart for a smaller or larger size one time within the first 120 days of receiving the refuse cart at no charge. A $25 exchange fee per cart will be charged for exchanges after the 120-day period.

Customers will have the ability to request their trash cans be picked up off-schedule for an extra fee based on the size of the cart:

• 35-gallon: $7.70 per collection
• 65-gallon: $12.20 per collection
• 95-gallon: $16.70 per collection

The rules still require city council approval. The city estimates the switch could cost $3 million in its first year.

Check back for updates to this developing story.